I just recently got my 1310 with mixed feelings, so I thought I'd share a bit for those who may be considering to buy one.
Build
It is solidly built. I was expecting a plasticy texture for the back of the LCD screen, as some forums suggest. I got a marble texture instead. So I’m quite happy with that. It does look weird at first glance, the marble texture flip. But I guess those who get a Vostro wouldn’t care too much about aesthetics in the first place.
Touch & Feel
The keyboard types solidly. The touchpad, though small, functions accurately. I’m a bit worried about the left and right clicks for the touchpad though, it’s feels very soft. Brightness of the screen is very good, 30% brightness is bright enough. It has 4 USB ports, sufficient for me. I have a problem with where the power slot should be. 1310 puts it at the right hand side of the laptop, very near to where the 3 USB slots are. It makes it very congested. I still prefer power slots to be at the left side.
Sound
The sound quality is TERRIBLE. I mean it. It cannot play songs as it will give a buzzing sound as though the speaker has blown. I have to turn down the bass to solve this problem. I decided never to use the built-in speaker if I can help it. The volume control on top of the keyboard is useless. One cannot expect to press down the key to bring the volume down, you have to tap it many many times to change the volume. If you have problem with this, I suggest you use the Fn key with the page up / down button. It’s less frustrating this way.
Battery Life
I’m using a 4-cell battery and have read about the short battery life. I can’t believe at the first full charge, the battery indicator shows only 1.15 hours! I was then only on 30% screen brightness. I believe that the battery will eventually last longer after a few charges. But I doubt that it will take me more than 2 hours. I’m very annoyed with this.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are looking for a laptop for its functionality, don’t mind the dull look, poor speakers, and can easily get a power point to charge your laptop, Vostro 1310 remains a good buy for its price. It is solidly built and weights light enough to carry around.
Build
It is solidly built. I was expecting a plasticy texture for the back of the LCD screen, as some forums suggest. I got a marble texture instead. So I’m quite happy with that. It does look weird at first glance, the marble texture flip. But I guess those who get a Vostro wouldn’t care too much about aesthetics in the first place.
Touch & Feel
The keyboard types solidly. The touchpad, though small, functions accurately. I’m a bit worried about the left and right clicks for the touchpad though, it’s feels very soft. Brightness of the screen is very good, 30% brightness is bright enough. It has 4 USB ports, sufficient for me. I have a problem with where the power slot should be. 1310 puts it at the right hand side of the laptop, very near to where the 3 USB slots are. It makes it very congested. I still prefer power slots to be at the left side.
Sound
The sound quality is TERRIBLE. I mean it. It cannot play songs as it will give a buzzing sound as though the speaker has blown. I have to turn down the bass to solve this problem. I decided never to use the built-in speaker if I can help it. The volume control on top of the keyboard is useless. One cannot expect to press down the key to bring the volume down, you have to tap it many many times to change the volume. If you have problem with this, I suggest you use the Fn key with the page up / down button. It’s less frustrating this way.
Battery Life
I’m using a 4-cell battery and have read about the short battery life. I can’t believe at the first full charge, the battery indicator shows only 1.15 hours! I was then only on 30% screen brightness. I believe that the battery will eventually last longer after a few charges. But I doubt that it will take me more than 2 hours. I’m very annoyed with this.
Conclusion
Overall, if you are looking for a laptop for its functionality, don’t mind the dull look, poor speakers, and can easily get a power point to charge your laptop, Vostro 1310 remains a good buy for its price. It is solidly built and weights light enough to carry around.
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